The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada released statistics regarding the insolvency of Canadians during the month of April. With problems in the oil-producing provinces, the high level of consumer debt across the country and the volatility of the real estate market, these insolvency statistics provide a picture of the financial difficulties currently facing Canadians. At this time, the national average consumer insolvency is 3.3%. While in some provinces the percentage of insolvencies remains close to the national average, there are clearly other provinces that are struggling with debt. This is how the percentage of consumer insolvencies increased or decreased in the provinces in April:

0.1% increase in British Columbia

Increase of 32.5% in Alberta

Saskatchewan increase of 5%

15% increase in Manitoba

1.9% decrease in Ontario

Increase of 1.4% in Quebec

Increase of 2.4% in New Brunswick

0.6% increase in Nova Scotia

Increase of 8.2% in Prince Edward Island

26.2% increase in Newfoundland and Labrador

Unfortunately, only the province of Ontario has been able to reduce its insolvency percentage in the month of April. British Columbia has remained relatively stable and this percentage has increased in the rest of the country and significantly in some provinces.

What is consumer insolvency?

Let’s take a look at what consumer insolvency is. Generally, it is a term used to describe a consumer who has debts of any kind and can not afford to continue to pay. The terms bankruptcy and insolvency are not synonymous; they have different meanings but it is likely that most insolvent people will have to file at one time or another, a consumer proposal or bankruptcy. Canadians who become insolvent generally have the following types of debt:

Credit card debts

Tax debt

Student Loans Debts

Automobile financing debts

While mismanagement of funds is the main reason Canadians become insolvent, emergencies, personal problems and job loss can also cause serious financial problems, leading to insolvency.

Difference between a consumer proposal and a bankruptcy

A consumer proposal and bankruptcy are legally binding measures that must be filed by an authorized insolvency officer. The bankruptcy is a little more drastic than the consumer proposal and all the financial experts, credit counselors and insolvency trustees will suggest you fill out a consumer proposal before declaring bankruptcy (unless a bankruptcy is the best solution in your case).

Amount of debt

To declare bankruptcy, you must have a debt of at least $ 1000 but there is no maximum amount. To be able to file a consumer proposal, you can not have a debt of more than $ 250,000.

Advantages

If your consumer proposal is accepted by your creditors, you will not have to give up your assets, which is the biggest benefit of such a proposal. On the other hand, by declaring bankruptcy, your property will probably be seized to pay off your creditors.

The creditors

In general, anyone who needs to declare bankruptcy can do it with practically nothing. There is no guarantee that your consumer proposal will be accepted.

Credit rating

When you complete a consumer proposal, you will receive an R7 credit rating. This rating will have a negative impact on your credit score but is not the worst to receive. By declaring bankruptcy, you would receive a rating of R9.

How to avoid insolvency

There are, of course, circumstances where insolvency is not avoidable. In these cases, it is best to seek the professional help of an authorized fiduciary agent who will be able to guide you through the different options according to your situation. But for those looking to avoid insolvency or just to make sure they manage their debt levels properly, here are some tips and tricks:

Live according to his means. A nice car, a big house and personal belongings are nice, but at what price? If you are spending too much to maintain the lifestyle you have created or are starting to be late on your car or mortgage payments, you need to re-evaluate what your priorities are.

Your good intentions to save money or reduce unnecessary expenses will not be effective unless you stick to a budget. Make yourself a realistic budget and a weekly or bi weekly meeting with yourself to assess your attendance.

Pay off your existing debts as quickly as possible. Do you only make your minimum credit card payments? If so, start making larger payments now and as often as you can.

Set aside for financial emergencies. Having an emergency fund at your fingertips will save you from having to use your credit cards to cover unforeseen circumstances.

Go get help. If you can see for yourself that you are starting to lose control of your finances, it is always wise to seek the help of a professional, either a credit counselor or even an authorized insolvency officer. If you are currently facing debt or credit problems, Prêts Québec can help you find the help you need, regardless of the province in which you live.

The habit of saving is something that more and more people practice; However, having this good action for our finances is no longer enough. It is time to consider investing those savings.

The word investment can scare many people, especially because there is a total lack of knowledge and the reasons why it is NECESSARY to invest are never mentioned.

Here we bring you the 3 reasons why you should do it:

1. The withdrawal

It is no secret that public pensions are no longer what they were, every day there is less money for these and it is already an obligation for us, the workers, to locate an option to save money for retirement. There are AFORES that are very necessary and safe, but the best thing is to complement it looking for more ways to invest our money.

2. Heritage

If you already have a family or are planning to make one, you should know the importance of having a heritage. A heritage is necessary in case something unexpected happens, you have a backup, but if nothing happens, you can leave a legacy to future generations. Most people consider that having a savings account is more than enough; However, the interests that this type of instruments leave us are very few and sometimes the majority goes to collections made by banking institutions for account management and so on.

3. Inflation

It is a term that we have all heard, but that few really know. Inflation is the generalized and sustained increase in the prices of goods and services in the market. Generally this rise in prices are adjusted with wage increases; nevertheless, even so it does not reach many times. Investing is a good option for our money to work and we have to worry less about inflation.

But how do I make it to invest?

We understand that one of the reasons why people do not dare to invest is because of the complexity that investments require, besides that in many places the minimum amounts to invest are very large.

Fortunately, Doopla allows you to lend your money and generate yields far superior to those that exist elsewhere; It is also very simple and the amounts to start investing in this platform range from 500 pesos, although it is advisable to start with 10 thousand, to be able to diversify your money within this community.

What mistakes you should avoid when planning your retirement

Retirement is one of the problems that most concern the Spanish. Insecurity about how pensions will be in the future is leading to more and more people starting to plan their retirement.

But it is as important to think about this important moment as it is to do it correctly without committing a series of errors that are still very common:

Do not think that the public pension is enough to cover all your expenses

Although the current reality is leading to many who supplement their pension with products such as a retirement plan, most still do not. The public pension may not be enough not only because it can be reduced, but mainly because we will enjoy a higher quality of life for a longer time.

Thanks to the capital or income that we can obtain with a forecast product, we can obtain that supplement that will be increasingly important and valued.

Leave the amounts that we will need and receive at random

There may be many years to retire, we will change jobs, the price varied … but even so it is important that we know, in the current circumstances, what our public pension will be. Getting it is simple thanks to the Autocalculus program of the retirement pension that we can access from the Social Security website.

This is the starting point so that compared to what we believe will be our future needs or projects, we allocate parts of our present income to complement our retirement pension.

Think about our retirement when we have a few years left

Although the Spanish saying says that it is never too late if the happiness is good, the truth is that acting in this way in saving for retirement has important disadvantages.

The first is that the contributions that we must devote to obtain that income or complementary capital will be greater.

The second point in the case of products such as a retirement plan is if we exceed the 8,000 euros per year (or 30% of our income for work or professional activities), we can lose the tax benefits of the contributions.

And the third, even more important, is in the benefits that we get for these contributions. These accumulate and in turn generate other additional interests, so that saving in the long term not only allows us to do it more comfortably, contributing less and benefiting from its taxation, it also allows us to earn more.

Think of your saving for retirement as something alive

Many of the changes in your life, especially the economic, influence when planning retirement. Therefore, adapt the investment to your personal circumstances and the time that remains for your retirement.

So you can, for example, change the contributions when economic circumstances force you to reduce these savings and otherwise, accelerate them if you need a capital or higher income.

To receive a refusal for any type of application is not very pleasant. The worst thing to do in this case is to feel sorry for yourself and make yourself the victim.

You should rather stay objective and think critically. Ask yourself what you did not do correctly and who led to the refusal. This article will introduce you to the way lenders analyze the applications they receive. So, when you next apply, you will have some advances.

Unclear credit reports

Discrepancies, inaccuracies, or any other ambiguous detail on your credit report are enough for the lender to refuse your application. Track your payments instead. If you observe that you have been awarded improper penalties for delayed payments, contact the credit company to prevent this from affecting your credit rating.

Faults in the application itself

You decrease your chances of approval each time you mistakenly enter information. The inaccuracies may relate to information about your credit, your job or even your home address. In addition, if you do not complete certain passages of the application, it also reduces your chances of approval. Before submitting the application, make sure to review it to avoid any errors or omissions. Although this is a trivial mistake, it can be expensive in the end.

Employment history

The first thing the lender will pay attention to is your employment situation. This is normal: a stable job means a constant income. Involuntarily, lenders will have more confidence in applying with a job because they have the opportunity to pay off the debt. If you have an irregular employment history, your chances of approval will be decreased. The secret is to make the lender both confident and comfortable in your ability to pay on time.

IncomeversusDebt

Before you even look at your employment situation, lenders will first look at your income. If your income is disproportionate to your debt, it may refuse your application. It might be a good idea to consider our debt resolution options .

Check your debt ratio

This ratio will give you a general idea of ​​how much your debt is in relation to your income. We suggest you take a look at it from time to time. In order to calculate your debt ratio, you only have to divide the amount of your monthly debts by your monthly income. If your ratio is greater than or equal to 43%, you will be perceived as a risky borrower by the creditor. This means that your debt is high compared to your current income. In fact, to keep an eye on this ratio, choose a site to calculate the debt ratio as your Internet home page. So, every time you go on the internet, you will remember to monitor your finances. This will save you all unnecessary expenses and keep you on track.

Bankruptcy

The length of time that bankruptcy will appear on your credit report will depend on the type of bankruptcy. You do not need to remember that bankruptcy does not necessarily convey the desired message to the lender. Bankruptcy makes lenders less confident and less comfortable lending you money because they do not think you will be able to pay off the debt. Of course, each creditor is different, but your chances of approval will definitely be affected, especially if you have declared bankruptcy recently.

Using the credit card

Try not to overuse the limit on your credit card If, each time, you exceed your limit on the card, your credit score will be negatively affected. If, in addition, you have several credit cards and you use them to the maximum, your chances of approval will be even lower. Keep track of your expenses and try not to use more than 30% of the amount available on your credit cards.

The following suggestions should help you get a loan more easily in the future. To obtain a refusal does not amount to a personal failure. Many creditors have their own criteria that will be unknown to us and beyond our control. Stay positive and make sure your finances are under control.

Successfully getting out of debt can sometimes seem like an insurmountable challenge. Before giving up, however, make sure that you are not committing any of these common mistakes.

Ignore the problem

Your problems will still be there tomorrow morning if you do not address them today. You can make arrangements and hide from your creditors; you can send all the letters you want, your debt will always be there as long as it will not be paid.

You have to deal with your debt. You must assume your share of responsibility. Certainly, if a portion of your debt is fraudulent, or if there is a sum that has been added to your debt in error, follow the steps necessary to dispute it. However, if your debt is legitimate and fair, acknowledge that you owe it and create an action plan to settle the account. You will find it surprising how the simple recognition of your responsibilities can alleviate your worries!

Get a consolidation loan with a co-signer

If you are able to make your payments but find it difficult to reduce your balances due to too high interest rates, it’s time to think about a consolidation loan. A lower interest rate will allow you to pay more than just the interest and the minimum due; you will reduce your balances and you will begin to see the end of your debt on the horizon.

If you do not qualify for a consolidation loan on your own, or if you find it difficult to pay even the minimum on your existing loans, it is likely that a consolidation would be too risky – especially for a potential co-signer: if you do not fail to make your payments when they are due, or if you fail to meet the minimum payment, your co-signer’s credit rating will be affected as well as yours, which will affect not only your ability to to borrow, but also to your relationship with your co-signer.

Account closure overdue

The outstanding credit account closure will certainly prevent you from making use of it and increase the balances you have to pay, but you will still have the same accumulation of interest and you will still have the same payment obligation. A closed account always accumulates interest charges and always affects your credit rating – especially if you do not make your payments. In addition, the proportion of your credit used versus your available credit is taken into account when evaluating your credit rating, so closing accounts or there is still a credit available do you no service.

But if you do not close your outstanding accounts, it is important not to contribute to the increase of their balances. If you try to pay your creditors, you will not see any progress as long as you keep adding to what you owe. All in all: destroy your cards to remove the temptation to use them, but keep the accounts open to protect your credit.

To think that a credit counselor is absolutely necessary

Do not hesitate to formulate your own action plan. Do you have only a few overdue accounts? So call your banks and financial institutions and ask if there is an opportunity to make a payment agreement or if there is an opportunity to lower your interest rates. Most lenders will be happy to find a way to help you if you are sincerely seeking to pay what you owe.

Despite this option, you may decide to use the services of a credit counseling agency. In the past, this remedy would have hurt your credit rating, but things have changed. The new regulations simply state that you are using the services of an agency. That being said, be aware that agencies will often charge you a monthly service fee and that the plan they develop may take several years to complete. It is therefore important to undertake this path with caution.

Thinking it’s easy to declare bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is not easy. Far from it, the path to credit rehabilitation following a bankruptcy is long, complicated and you will have to discuss every detail of your financial life in bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy does not protect you, either, from your mortgage payments, student loans, or any expenses associated with the bankruptcy filing itself. Plus, your credit rating will carry the black mark of your bankruptcy for years.

If you still believe that bankruptcy is a possibility for you, consult a bankruptcy professional immediately. Your financial situation will only get worse if you delay seeking the necessary advice. That being said, it is not an obligation to meet with a bankruptcy lawyer before starting the process, but this consultation will allow you to know what avenues are available to you and to see if the bankruptcy is reasonable in your situation.

Pay your debts with your retirement funds

The temptation to use your retirement fund – an account full of funds that belongs to you – when your creditors knock on the door can be hard to resist, but it is imperative to let it go! That you despair, that you believe you buy peace using these funds to rid your debt, you will despair even more during your retirement when your wool stocking will be empty and that there will be new accounts payable. Your retirement accounts are protected from your creditors, even if you are recovering, even if you pay your salary to pay what you owe. Respect the wisdom of this protection and do not touch it!

Paying your debts takes a sustained commitment and a little courage, but avoiding bad habits and harmful actions to your financial future will help you meet your goal. And when you start seeing real progress, you’ll find yourself more confident and ready to face your next challenge!

Banking, budgets and bills may seem like the least romantic thing but perhaps the most important thing. A marriage does not join only two individuals and two families; it also involves joining two financial situations, two bank accounts and two sets of debts. With the wedding season in full swing, we want to say a few words on the subject after passing the Yes step, I want it.

Put romance on the back burner

With nearly 50% of marriages ending in divorce and a large percentage of Canadians saying that money is the main problem in their marriage. Managing your finances before the wedding is probably the best gift you can give yourself. It’s okay to put romance aside for a moment.

Each couple is different and your financial discussions will be different too. We think that a good rule of thumb is to discuss your finances before you start planning your wedding celebration. Weddings can cost a small fortune and no one wants to start a life together by adding even more debt and financial stress to their relationship.

How to start a conversation?

Openly discussing income, credit card debt and bank account balances can be stressful, intimidating and sometimes uncomfortable. Keep in mind, however, that you are joining two lives together and that you will have to discuss finances for the rest of your life. It’s better to be comfortable with the principle from the start. Here are some questions you should consider if you are having trouble starting a pre-wedding financial discussion.

How much debt do each of you have? Including credit card debt, personal loans and students.

Do you want to join your finances completely, share a joint account or keep everything separately?

Is buying a house important for both of you?

Can paying for a big wedding be possible in your current financial situation?

Is paying for a big wedding more important than buying a house in the immediate future?

Are children part of your plans and how will they affect your financial decisions?

Smart financial discussions and decisions should provide a stable foundation for your marriage.

Maintain a financially healthy relationship

Depending on your relationship and your finances, there are several options for dealing with money attached after saying yes I want it. Generally, here are 4 of the most important concerns you should address and where to find a plan when discussing your financial future together.

A place for your money

We assume that you both have at least a small amount of money in the form of chequing accounts, savings accounts and RRSPs, perhaps even TFSAs. It is totally correct to keep all of this separately. Many couples do the same. What you need to discuss is how you will pay for daily expenses:

Will you buy a house together, where will the mortgage payments come from?

Who will pay for the amenities?

Who will pay for food and other household items?

Do you both own a car? Or who will make the payments if you share?

A good way to manage all these daily and monthly expenses is to open a joint account. You can keep your respective accounts and simply transfer an agreed amount to your joint account to pay for any expenses you share. This way you will have the best of both worlds.

Common financial goals

The financial goals that you set when you live alone and do not plan to get married may not meet those of your future spouse. It is therefore important to discuss which goals are most important to you and to decide together which ones you will work towards.

Where do you want your finances to be in the near future?

Where do you want your finances to be in the future?

What’s the most important saving for a home, retirement or rainy days?

Make a budget

Now that you know your common financial goals, you need to know how you will achieve them. Creating a budget should help you put a plan into action. You should discuss your spending habits here. Since you are now a team working towards the same goal, it is important to be open and enthusiastic to adjust your previous habits. Make sure both of you are willing to compromise on some expenses or lusts. If one of you feels forced to make more concessions than the other, you may find yourself facing more important issues in the future.

Honesty should always be your policy

We all have our vices and if one of yours is to shop online, go out to eat in five-star restaurants or anything that runs around spending big amounts of money, make sure your spouse knows about it. Finances are already quite stressful without lies; make honesty a priority. In addition, it would be time also to mention any debt that you may have failed to update so far.

Your money, your wedding, your plan

Remember that this is your wedding and your money, so treat the subject the best way together. The worst thing to do is ignore your finances, have only a few discussions, make plans, and start feasting.

The year comes to an end, it is time to prepare the rituals to attract health, money, love and abundance. On this occasion, we are going to concentrate on one of these elements that can be assured by others, money.

Of course, cash does not buy love, but it can help pay the doctor’s bills, to ensure health, and allow us to invest in assets to build wealth, generating wealth. This ritual to attract money does work.

In addition, not only is it effective, it is also easy to do. But remember that the rituals for money will only work if you really believe in them. The most important rituals for urgent money require that you be able to visualize what you want to achieve.

For this type of ritual, you will have to visualize the specific amount of money you want. The procedure you can repeat as many times as you want and consider necessary to get where you want.

Step # 1 – Make a budget

The first thing you have to do is make a budget of your income and expenses. A fundamental requirement for this ritual of money to work is that you know how much money you generate in a month and in a year, and how much you spend in those periods of time.

You can quickly draw up a budget by means of a template that we have prepared for you. You can download the template for free How to make a family budget? There you can write down how much money you enter and how much you leave.

The preparation of a budget allows you to know how much money you spend more, what purchases you can eliminate to reduce money leaks and start a savings plan to meet your goals. You can consult the steps to follow to prepare a budget that we have prepared for you.

Step # 2 – Evaluate your ability to save

Once we have elaborated our budget, we will be able to know how much money we will destine to the saving of the month and the year. At this point, there are two things we should consider:

How much money we save.

How much money do we want to save?

The budget tells us how much money we have left free with the consumption habits we have. But it also allows us to see opportunities to increase our money, there are many unnecessary expenses that we can cut. Identify them and eliminate them from your daily purchases.

Step # 3 – Set specific goals

Our budget also allows us to set goals. Based on the information we have developed in the previous steps, budget and programmable savings, we have to set specific savings goals. For example, if we save 3,000 pesos per month, 36,000 pesos per year.

From the numbers that we have reviewed in our budget, we have to identify how many expenses we can cut, this amount could add to our savings, to say the least, 1,500 more per month. A year later we will have collected 54,000 pesos. Not bad, do not you think?

Our goal of saving can be to get the hitch for a car, buy bicycles for the whole family, change the refrigerator and stove, or remodel the house.

We have to make an assessment of the amount of money we need to reach our goal and review our savings capacity, the amount of money we can raise per month, to see how much time we need to meet the goal.

Step # 4 – Supplement your income

In case our saving capacity is not enough to achieve the goals we have established, we must consider the possibility of obtaining extra income sources. For this, there are several ideas you can try.

We have prepared a material with simple projects that you can try to increase household income. Download our Guide at no cost to earn extra money from your home.

Having an extra income will make it easier to reach your financial goals and increase your savings capacity, attracting money in the most effective way possible, with healthy personal finances.

Step # 5 – Take advantage of financial services

There are projects that can become the best ritual to attract money. Putting a home business or starting a small project may require an initial investment, but in the long run it will become a source of safe and stable income.

On the other hand, financial services may be the best way to get the extra money we need to achieve our goals.

For example, if we want to remodel the house we can ask for a loan . The steps from one to three allow us to know what our saving capacity is and, therefore, our ability to pay.

The ability to pay is what allows us to know how much money we can and we must borrow. If we have 3,000 pesos free per month, we can request a loan that costs us 1,500 or 2,000 pesos per month.

It is a sum that we can pay and that allows us to save a little money, in case we need cash.

Step # 6 – Do not waste time with rituals that do not work

The rituals to attract money do not work because they do not establish a real mechanism to generate money. To attract money we have to set goals, set goals and plan the right way to manage our resources to achieve what we want.

Of course, rituals can be fun and, without a doubt, symbolize a personal drive to achieve what we want. They can be motivating and effective to remind us that it is important to take care of our money and prepare ourselves to earn what we consider fair to live as we wish. But, by themselves, they are useless.

We have to be careful with the recording of our income, expenses and consumption habits. Impulsive purchases, unnecessary recurring expenses, abuse of credit cards and other bad financial decisions can lead to a spiral of waste and chronic indebtedness.

So that you do not regret in a year of the bad financial decisions you are making, take care of your money, make a personal budget and a family budget, set savings goals and take advantage of the financial instruments that exist.

We have prepared some tips to help you not make financial decisions that may affect you in the future. We invite you to download this material completely free. Take care of your money, use it with prudence and attract much more with this ritual that does work.

The Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) has approved the call for 2016 for the granting of EMPLEA grants , for the hiring by PYMES, JEIs and Spin-off of universitygraduates and non-university graduates with professional training of a higher degree or equivalent. carry out R & D & i activities related to those that the beneficiary companies carry out or are going to carry out.

By way of summary, we highlight the following features of the aid:

Requirements for technologists

Be in possession of the academic qualification that corresponds to the one required in the resolution of the concession.

Not having been linked by employment contract with the company requesting the aid in the twelve months prior to the publication of the call.

Not having been previously hired through an employment contract financed with grants granted in any of the previous INNCORPORA or EMPLEA calls.

Not having a share in the share capital of the company requesting the grant, or of another shareholder or company related to the same, that supposes a capacity of direct or indirect control in its board of directors.

Contract characteristics

Gross annual remunerationmay not be less than 19,000 euros in the case of technologists with a university degree and 15,000 euros when a non-university graduate with professional training of a higher or equivalent degree is hired.

Minimum duration of the contract will invariably be 36 months counted from its start date. The maximum duration of the contract will not be subject to restrictions, and may be indefinite.

The hiring must be full-time and with fulldedication to carrying out the R & D & I activities that will be included in the resolution granting the aid.

The technologist can not be hired simultaneously by another company during the working day of the contract that is financed with these aids.

The labor contracts that are financed will not be able to count on bonuses / reductions of any type.

Characteristics of the aid

The grants will be granted for full annuities , coinciding with the period of execution of the aid. This will last for 3 consecutive and uninterrupted years .

The amount of the aid will be determined according to the budget that can be financed.

The fundable concepts will be the expenses derived from the hiring of personnel to carry out R & D & I activities, this cost includes the gross remuneration and the social security contribution received during the period of execution of the aid.

It will be financed up to a maximum of 65%, a percentage that can reach up to 75% in the event that the activities to be carried out by the technologist are carried out in the following communities or autonomous cities: Andalusia, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha , Ceuta, Extremadura, Galicia, Melilla, Principality of Asturias and Region of Murcia .

The maximum annual amount that may be granted for each aid may not exceed 30,000 euros in the event that a university-qualified technologist is hired and of 000 euros when a non-university graduate with professional training of a higher or equivalent degree is hired.

The same company can not request more than two grants .

The continuity of the aid in the second and third annuities will be conditioned to the verification of compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract with the technologist.

Call in the de minimis regime .

We remind you that the deadline to submit the applications corresponding to this call will begin on April 14, 2016 at 10:00 am and end on May 4, 2016 at 3:00 pm.

The LIFE program has launched two calls for proposals, underlining its commitment to support projects that protect the environment and cope with climate change.

The 2015 LIFE program grants call was launched on June 1, 2015 and includes proposals for both subprograms, environment and climate action. The total budget of subsidies for project activities for this call is 240,811,337 € Of this amount, 184,141,337 € have been allocated the environmental subprogram and 56,670,000 € have been allocated to the subprogram of “climate action” . At least 55% of the environment allocation will be dedicated to projects supporting the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

Traditional projects include projects to disseminate best practices, demonstration, pilot or information and awareness. These are financed under one of three lines for the environment subprogram (LIFE Nature and Biodiversity, LIFE Environment and resource efficiency and LIFE for environmental and information governance). For the Climate Action subprogram, the lines are: LIFE climate change mitigation, LIFE climate change adaptation and LIFE climate governance and information.

The capacity-building projects are designed to provide financial support for the activities necessary to strengthen the capacity of the Member States to allow more effective participation in the LIFE program.

The other three new types of projects introduced by LIFE 2015-2020 are integrated projects, technical assistance projects and preparatory projects. For the environmental subprogram, these are managed by the LIFE Unit of DG Environment.

Public bodies, private business organizations and private non-commercial organizations (including NGOs) registered in the EU are eligible to apply for grants for LIFE activities.

Buying a home is an important step in everyone’s life, especially when it’s the first time. Getting into a strategic debt situation carries some risks, but this purchase will surely prove to be beneficial for the whole family. Here is a list of 10 unconventional tips for first time buyers.

Consider long-term investment

Remember, when you buy a home, you are making a long-term investment at the same time. Think about your immediate needs, but also those in the future. Will it be possible to expand the family, raise the children or will it be necessary to move? If you plan to stay in this house for the rest of your life, think carefully about future needs. But if you like to change places, then see your home as an investment by analyzing its resale potential.

Make a lot of lists

When buying a home, the majority of people have a list with those they want to have and what they prefer to avoid. On the other hand, it is better to have more lists: list for what we want, what we do not want, what we would like but not necessary, etc. In this way, after visiting several houses, you will not forget your primary needs and you will not be mixed up by the choice. By buying a house, you make an investment and you do not want to make an emotional choice. With the lists, you make sure you make a more rational choice.

Keep in mind the extra expenses

Do not forget to include in your purchase budget the following expenses:

Movables

The cost of transportation to work / gas costs

renovations

Repairs

Other dependencies (example: swimming pool maintenance)

Be aware of the presence of an owner syndicate

Not all neighborhoods have a proprietary union. However, if this is the case, make sure to be informed and ask for the contract. It does not matter whether you rent or buy a house, knowledge of the contract is essential. Make sure to be informed before making the purchase.

Think about funding alternatives

The mortgage is the most used means of financing when buying a house. But do not forget to check other possible options. A little nudge is never bad. You will be surprised to see the range of financial alternatives available to you: from grants to personal loans. Many of these alternatives have limitations, but it’s easy to find out. Even if you are not eligible for any of these alternatives, it is always a good idea to try and find out.

Read your contract

That’s self-evident, is not it? You will still be surprised at the number of people who do not read their contract. Buying a home is perhaps your most important decision, in addition to being a huge investment. You owe it to yourself to read the contract. Understanding it is crucial. Do not assume that your real estate broker has told you everything. Knowing yourself and knowing your future are the best you can do.

Do a search on your neighborhood / neighborhood

Knowing the neighborhood and neighborhood in general could be the deciding factor when buying a home. If you are parents and the neighborhood of the desired home is young and trendy, would you be happy to live there? And vice versa? Do your research and do not buy a house in a neighborhood that does not satisfy you 100%.

Buy the house and the view that comes with

If you do not like the neighborhood or the view from your window, then do not buy this house. Love the view is as important, if not more, than loving the house itself. You can always improve your home by doing some renovations, but you will never change the view it offers you. Do not buy a house just because you like the kitchen or the bathroom.

Ignore the furnishing

A fully furnished house looks better, but often it is less convenient for your needs. When buying a furnished house, try to imagine it empty so you can imagine how you will live there. Focus on important details, such as the size of the kitchen, the size of the bathroom, the need for renovations and not whether the furniture matches the color of the walls.

Remember the tips that have proven themselves

Aside from the unconventional tips above, remember the methods checked when you buy your home.

Have an emergency fund

Have an initial payment of 20% already saved (otherwise you can consider the options ” rent to acquire “)

Improve your credit history

Never buy a house that you can not afford

Many details must be taken into account when buying a house: contracts, neighborhood, money, future expenses. Do not think too much for now. Take advantage of the 10 unconventional tips to make your buying process more enjoyable and easy.